Processing of caplets, such as marking the caplets with indicia, coloring the caplets, laser drilling holes in the caplets, and/or coating the caplets, is known in the art. The caplets may be transported past one or more processing stations (e.g., printing, inspection, drilling, etc.) by carrier bars provided with one or more caplet receiving pockets.
In a typical application, the carrier bars are transported along an endless path conveyer including a ramped section and a downstream horizontal section. The ramped section includes a hopper which is at least partly filled with the caplets. Ideally, the caplets are seated within the pockets such that in the horizontal section a smooth processing surface is presented to the processing station (i.e., the belly band is not presented to the processing station(s)). Achieving a high fill rate proves difficult due to the processing speed of the conveyer and the shape of the caplet. Thus, due to improper and/or unsecure seating in the carrier bar, the caplet is often improperly processed along the belly band of the caplet and/or knocked out of the pocket during processing.
Thus, there is a need in the art for an improved method and apparatus for transporting caplets that does not suffer from the above-mentioned drawbacks.